Beretta AR70/90

The Beretta AR70/90 is a gas operated rifle chambered for the 5.56×45mm NATO cartridge, and is the standard issue service rifle of the Italian Armed Forces. The weapon is also designed to be fitted with a rifle grenade, and has grenade sights. The AR series comes in many variants such as the AR90, with a wire folding stock, for use by paratroopers.

Beretta AR70/90
A Beretta AR70/90 SCP
TypeAssault rifle
Place of originItaly
Service history
In serviceAR70/223: 1972–1990
AR70/90: 1990–present
Used bySee Users
WarsWar in Afghanistan
Iraq War
Mexican Drug War
Production history
DesignerBeretta
DesignedAR70/223: 1972
AR70/90: 1985
ManufacturerBeretta
VariantsSee Variants
Specifications
Mass3.99 kg (8.80 lb) (varies slightly)
Length998 mm (39.3 in) (varies slightly)
Cartridge5.56×45mm NATO
ActionGas-operated
Rate of fire650 RPM (varies slightly)
Muzzle velocity950 m/s (3,100 ft/s)
Effective firing range500 m (1,600 ft)
Feed system30-round STANAG Magazine
100-round C-Mag drum magazine
SightsIron/grenade sights

History

The Beretta AR70/90 rifle was developed in the 1980s when the Italian Government decided that its military and law enforcement agencies needed a new standard service weapon. It was made to be compatible with other NATO weapons by the adoption of standard 5.56 mm STANAG loaders, whereas the AR70/90's predecessor, the BM59, derived from the U.S. M1 Garand, was chambered in 7.62 mm (.308), another NATO caliber which today is considered suitable mostly for sniper or machine gun use. There is a semi-auto version called the AR70/90S which lacks a flash hider and bayonet mount.

As of late 2010 the AR70/90 is supplemented in service by the new Beretta ARX-160, a new project which has several major developments in sighting and firepower such as the integrated (and also detachable) grenade launcher GLX-160, and the "Future Soldier Program" integration.

Description

The AR70/90 is manufactured according to 1980s standards, i.e. with limited use of polymer plastic parts and using stainless steel whenever possible (a Beretta staple). It weighs approximately 4 kg in standard configuration. It has three firing positions (full auto, three-round burst, and semi-auto) and a safe, and has a carrying handle not unlike the Vietnam-era M16, a long, bulky barrel, and a hollow stock. It is usually fitted with an ACOG or a red dot optic.

Variants
Version Caliber Length Barrel length Mass Effective range Rate of fire
AR70/223 5.56×45mm M193 995 mm 450 mm 3.8 kg 400 m 650 rpm
AR70/90, SC70/90 5.56×45mm NATO 998 (756) mm 450 mm 4.07 kg 500 m 670 rpm
SCP70/90 5.56×45mm NATO 908 (663) mm 360 mm 3.8 kg 350 m 670 rpm

Users
Italian soldier of the Folgore Brigade armed with an SC70/90 rifle.

See also

References
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  7. Katz, Sam (24 Mar 1988). Arab Armies of the Middle East Wars (2). Men-at-Arms 128. Osprey Publishing. p. 42. ISBN 9780850458008.
  8. "RMR Museum". Archived from the original on 2018-03-09. Retrieved 2018-03-09.
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